Intro/overview

In 1997 My Sisters’ Place (MSP) established the Center for Legal Services to respond to our clients’ urgent need for specialized, high-quality legal services. The mission of the center is to provide victims of domestic violence and human trafficking who are financially unable to retain counsel on their own, greater access to legal protections and remedies crucial to their survival and safety.

What We Offer

Family Law Services;

Immigration Services;

Human trafficking Services; and

Impact Litigation Services.

Did you know that:

MSP’s Center for Legal Services provides free legal services to anyone who is a victim of domestic violence and qualifies for our services.

In the past year, the Center for Legal Services provided quality legal representation to over 1000 clients.

For more information, please contact My Sisters’ Place legal services at (914) 683-1333 and ask to schedule a consultation. Childcare is provided in the Yonkers office. For more information about childcare (link to childcare page)

Consultation Process

The consultation is typically the first point of contact between the potential client and the Center for Legal Services (CLS). This process allows us to assess the nature of the client’s legal issues and provide immediate legal advice, brief services, and referrals. Legal advice often includes an assessment of the caller’s potential legal remedies, suggestions for collecting and preserving evidence, and directions on how to file various court papers without an attorney. Cases that need to be referred to one of our attorneys for direct representation and cases that contain potential appellate issues are directed to the Center’s Chief Legal Officer and Managing Attorney.

Family Law Practice

The Family law Practice provides specialized legal services to victims of domestic violence in family law cases, including orders of protection, custody, visitation, child and spousal support, and abuse and neglect. Through our Sister In Law (SIL) program we offer support to victims seeking legal help by providing them with accompaniments to court so that they do not have to face their abuser or the courts alone.

Services also include advocacy and support but our legal advocates within the Integrated Domestic Violence Courts to domestic violence victims during participation in criminal investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators. Victim Advocates attend court proceedings, ensure victims fully understand the status of the case and that their wishes are communicated, and assist in preparing the victim impact statements and petitions.

Immigration Practice:

The immigration practice specializes in providing a range of legal services to immigrant victims of domestic violence or human trafficking and their family members. Immigration law attorneys assist clients with green cards, work permits, and other immigration benefits that will allow them to stay in the United States legally.

Our Chief Legal Officer and immigration practitioners have expertise in various methods of domestic violence and human trafficking forms of relief. These methods include, but are not limited to, VAWA’s, U-Visa’s, T-Visas, Batter Spouse Waivers, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Asylum. We also represent clients in immigration court, conduct advocacy on behalf of clients and address any other issues that may arise in the course of representation.

Human Trafficking

Attorneys and advocates assist victims of human trafficking in building the legal case in collaboration with Federal, State, and Local law enforcement .

Impact Litigation

CLS also offers advanced litigation and appellate representation in a full range of cases, including custody, visitation, child support, orders of protection, and immigration matters. Additionally, the Center pursues civil remedies to assist victims of human trafficking to obtain monetary relief in federal and state courts.